§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will follow up the support his Department has given Sheffield in its bid for the 1991 world student games with the necessary backing to ensure the games' successful staging now that they have been awarded to the city.
§ Mr. MoynihanI congratulate Sheffield on the success of its bid to host the 1991 world student games. I know that the city council see this as an opportunity to help them pursue its strategy for regenerating Sheffield. The Government have already recognised the needs of Sheffield by a 37 per cent. increase in urban programme funding for 1987–88. In recent years the urban programme has assisted sports and related projects including Woodburn athletics centre, East End park and Waltheof campus.
I wish the city well in its efforts to raise private finance. It is essential for it to do so. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, I have made it clear to Sheffield from the beginning that the Department can neither provide any additional finance or financial guarantee nor relax capital expenditure controls to provide direct assistance for the games.